Knocking noise (not engine) in my 2000 Protege

[billd41]

For the last few weeks I've been hearing a knock/bang from the front driver's side of my 2000 Protege (w/57k), usually when I'm travelling at low speed/around town driving. I jacked up the card, put it on ramps, pulled the wheel off, crawled under.....can't find anything loose like the struts, brakes, cat/exhaust system, engine/tranny mounts, etc.


Car performance doesn't seem to be effected; it's not pulling to one side, no shakes or vibration, no uneven tire wear. it's just annoying as hell so far.

I'm starting to think I may be hearing an echo, and the noise is coming from another area of the car, but after a quick once-over, can't find anything obviously loose or broken.

Anyone have an ideas about what causing this?

thanks.....

PS - The car has always felt like a tin can to me, not very solid....unlike my 1990 Protege, which was a tank.

[[email protected]]

Hmmm.. if the knock is consistant, and you started noticing it (or it gets worse) while turning, then I'd check the CV joints and the boots. If the boots are cracked, road grime probably got in and started wearing the CV joints. My 93 started that way and got to the point where every once in while I'd hear a loud bang... till it finally seized. Good luck.

[billd41]

I checked the CV boots on both sides, and all are in good shape; no cracks, no lost grease. And I don't hear the knock only when I'm turning, more so when I hit a bump or any imperfection in the road. At highway speeds there isn't a knock.

But....while I was inspecting the CV boots, I noticed excessive wear on the inside tread of both front tires, and it is the extreme edge, only the inside 1" or so. This could've only started in the last two to three weeks since I last inspected the car.

So that does it, I'm taking it to a garage this week. I'm wondering if the knock has anything to do with the tire wear, or if the front end is just out-of-line and the knock is something else.

Any thoughts?

[POScar49]

do u have a cai? if so then check that. my frend's cai pipe and filter used to rattle against the plastic and it was pretty irritating.

[billd41]

POScar49,

I had the car checked out and was told the the driver's side strut mount was broken. I believe the garage too because the car has been riding like a truck for the last few months (suspension-wise, that is), plus I'm getting the uneven tire wear.

Two new struts and front-end allignment for $550. I priced the parts on line, so for parts, a few hours labor and the allingment, I feel like I'm getting a good deal.

[GAProtegedriva97]

might be a wheel bearing, i had the same problem with mine, it just wore out and it the grease was gone on it and my cv joints were fine and the boots were fine, but it almost made my axles go because of the time i rode around with it like that

[asamaan]

I had the same on my 2000 and it turned out to be the sway bar links, only did it at low speeds when I hit pumps.

Al

[Coastie John]

My 2002 does the exact same thing on the drivers side. I have the front sway bar links on order. The boots on mine are torn and it looks rusty inside the boot.

I had a similar problem on the 626. Had to replace the rear links and sway bar bushings and that fixed it.

[Coastie John]

Follow-up

Yup....it was the front sway bar links making the noise.